Kano Govt Urges Community Leaders To Speak Against GBV

The Kano State government has urged community leaders to speak out against gender-based violence and stop the stigmatisation of survivors.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and People with Special Needs, Hajiya Amina Sani, made the call recently at the launch of the “Mainstreaming Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response into the Agricultural Value Chain in Kano State” project, organised by the Development Research and Projects Centre, in partnership with the African Enterprise Challenge Fund and supported by Global Affairs Canada.

The 12-month project is aimed at strengthening community-based mechanisms for preventing and responding to GBV, while promoting gender equality and women’s participation in agricultural value chains.

Speaking at the event held at the Murtala Muhammad Library, Kano, the commissioner urged traditional and community leaders to report cases of abuse to enable relevant authorities to identify and support victims.

“My call goes especially to our elders living within the community: they should please stop the stigmatisation. Whenever this happens, they should voice it out so people know what is occurring and we can identify the victims,” she said.

Sani disclosed that the ministry had three GBV desk officers, while Women Development Officers across the 44 local government areas also helped to identify and report cases of violence against women, children and persons with special needs.

She said the ministry recently intervened in the case of a woman who was allegedly burnt with hot water by her husband, adding that the state government had taken responsibility for her treatment and was committed to protecting her rights.

The commissioner said the project would help reduce GBV, particularly abuses affecting women along the agricultural value chain, from farming to the marketing of farm produce.

The Technical Adviser to dRPC on the project, Nafisa Ado, said the intervention would engage traditional leaders, community members and beneficiaries of AECF-funded initiatives in selected communities.

Ado said th project was expected to reach 16,000 individuals, train 285 traditional leaders and engage 460 gender champions to raise awareness about violence against women, girls and children.

She said the intervention would cover communities including Rano, Bebeji and Dawakin Kudu, among others, to strengthen community-based responses to GBV and improve awareness of its dangers, while promoting safer and more enabling environments for women participating in agricultural value chains.